Waking up early to continue on their journey had been a necessity. Only minutes were needed to see that the fire died out, before they all began their journey once again, on foot this time. Trekking for such a long distance whilst being completely unsure of their direction though, just took a toll on everyone's tempers. And while walking through a gorge, Jade had to scowl when she overheard the conversation of the two elder Pevensies.

"I don't remember this way." Susan had said, which prompted Peter's reply. "Thats the problem with girls. Can't carry a map in their heads."

"Probably because our heads have something in them." the girl retorted with a triumphant smirk, sharing a grin with the female Pevensies, before Susan casted another wary look around and sighed.

"We should've just listened to the DLF in the first place."

"DLF?" Edmund echoed, having overheard the conversation and clueless about the synonym. Lucy cleared it up easily though, with a cheeky grin and look over at Trumpkin, before speaking. "Dear Little Friend."

"Oh, thats not at all patronizing, is it?" Trumpkin replied with a dire tone, Jade hiding a laugh behind her hands as she fell in step with the slower dwarf steps of Trumpkin's. Before she could reply though, their steps slowed when Peter, who had been in the lead, stopped perched on a boulder. "I'm not lost." she heard him mumble stubbornly, and rolled her eyes. Apparently, years did not diminish ones bull-headedness. Not when it came to Peter Pevensie anyway.

"No you're not." Trumpkin replied out of the blue, walking up to Peter as he did so. "You're just going the wrong way."

'And here we go again.' Jade complained to herself, when she saw the boy king's blue eyes flash with irritation, one quite familiar to her actually.

"You last saw Caspian at the River Rush, and the quickest way to it is through the Shuddering Woods." he shot back, and Jade rolled her eyes at his defensive tone.

"But unless I'm mistaken, there's no crossing in these parts." Trumpkin argued.

"Well that explains it then. You're mistaken." he replied, every bit the stubborn King she knew back in the Golden Age, and headed on to his pre-determined way, not heeding a single word Trumpkin had said. Jade sighed, shook her head in rue and then caught up to Trumpkin, placing her hand on his arm just as he opened his mouth. "Don't try. I know how he is. He just won't listen." she whispered, and then offered s mile to Trumpkin, before falling in step behind Peter once again.

"Is he always like that?" Trumpkin grumbled under his breath.

"Yeap." Lucy replied, having heard him.

"But Jade always knew the best way to handle his stubborn moods, so we usually follow her lead." Edmund continued. Giving an exasperated grunt, Trumpkin was left with no choice but to follow.

A sharp drop greeted them, a gorge and rushing rapids separating them from one side of the woods to the other, and all Peter could do was stare down at them.

"Peter. Nothing stays the same, not after 500 years." Jade finally spoke up, gently reminding him where he was as he inwardly berated himself for the mistake he had made.

"Is there a way down?" Peter finally asked, but it wasn't Jade who replied him, but Trumpkin's sarcasm that greeted him.

"Yeah. Falling."

"Well we weren't lost!" Peter retorted, and Jade sighed and rolled her eyes again. Trumpkin surprisingly, didn't bite the bait and instead went about their business.

"There's a ford near Beruna. How do you feel about swimming?"

"I'd rather that then walking." Susan replied, as they all resignedly started back where they had came from, when Lucy's voice suddenly caught their attention.

"Aslan? Its Aslan! Over there!" she exclaimed, causing all eyes turn to her as she pointed in excitement. "Don't you see, he's right-" she paused when she turned back, dissapointment flooding her when she was greeted with an empty rock perch. "-there."

"Do you see him now?"

"I'm not crazy. He's there. He wanted us to follow him."

"I'm sure there are any number of lions in these woods, Luce. Just like that bear." Peter tried to placate his favourite sister, but all he got in return was a quelling look of dissapointment. "I think I know Aslan when I see him."

"Look, I'm not about to jump off a cliff after someone who doesn't exist." Trumpkin finally spoke up, in exasperation. Just as Jade was about to cut in, and assert quite as stubbornly as Peter would have, that Aslan did exist, Edmund beat her to the punch.

"The last time I didn't believe in what you were saying... I ended up looking pretty stupid." he said softly, timidly even. Those words were enough to remind them that it was Lucy who had even placed them were they were now, the first one who had discovered Narnia. Yet the cliff did mar things a bit.

Finally, Peter spoke, trying to be logical as he did. "Why wouldn't I have seen him?"

"Maybe you weren't looking."

And he tried, he did. But he just couldn't bring himself to lead him and his family to brazenly jump off a cliff. Shrugging with regret, he said. "Sorry Lu." Before starting off where they had wanted to once again. Jade slipped in to step next to him as they walked off, glancing behind to see Edmund walking up to Lucy, before back at Peter's guilty face.

Nudging him, she offered him a hopeful smile. "Well, you can't have asked us all to jump off a cliff." she tried to console, softly.

"She looked hurt, Jade."

"I know. She's the youngest, and its inevidable when someone doesn't believe your word. But I don't think we need to risk broken necks. Our predicament is bad enough as it is."

"I just hope it doesn't get worst."

"It won't, I know it."

"Okay I lied."

The sounds of slaves being beaten, labor being carried out and the scent of sweat mixed with blood made her want to be sick, yet the only way to relieve herself that Jade knew how to, was to jest. Yet Peter was all but in a jesting mood now. The sight of what had become to his beloved land sickened him to the bone, and he felt the guilt swamp him like never before. How could he have let this happen?

As if she knew his thoughts though, Jade yanked at him, and then gave a gentle cuff to him. "Think of how we're supposed to get out of this, please, instead of brooding. We don't have time for that now." she scolded, trying to beat some sense in to his glazed eye. Knowing him as well as she did, Jade knew he would be berating himself to no end the second he saw this. Yet it wasn't her scolding that brought him out of his trance, but the sound of horses.

Immediately, he yanked her towards him, and all of them ducked under the pile of lumber they had been hiding behind, until the returning soldiers were out of sight. "Perhaps this wasn't the best way to come afterall." Jade whispered against where her head as tucked against Peter's shoulder. And that was enough for Peter. He wasn't about to put the life of his family, and certainly not Jade's, in danger.

Quickly, they ducked out of there.

By midday, they returned back where they had been that morning, staring at the gorge separating them from one end to the other. "So... where exactly did you last saw Aslan?"

Lucy turned back to glare at them, before finally saying in an exasperated tones. " I wish you'd all stop trying to sound like grown ups! I don't think I saw him. I did see him." she re-asserted, walking towards the edge of the gorge a little more, towards the right. "It was right, over..." but before she could finish her sentence, the ground gave way to her weight, and Peter could've sworn his heart stopped for a second, as they all rushed to her head.

Much to all of their relief though, when they got to where she had fallen, Lucy stood perfectly unscathed, and grinning up at them in triumph. "Here!"

And so begin their climb downwards, but with much less grumblings then they had heard that morning. With a firm destination and route in their heads, everyone seemed to be able to get down to the task much more easier, and their route doesn't seem all that treacherous too, though looks can be deceiving.

The river they had to cross earned Jade a cross look. She did so hate getting her feet wet. There was a reason why she was charged with the gryphons, instead of the water nymphs. Noticing her disgruntled look, Peter sidled up next to her with a crooked grin. "Want me to carry you across?" he offered cheekily, only to be on the receiving end of a scowl from Jade.

"I can manage." she muttered darkly, and picking up her skirts, she did manage. but not without much grumblings on her matter. But Peter knew she wouldn't have taken her up on his offer. She was much too independant to want that.

Following Lucy's lead, it was nightfall before they finally made it up the next gorge, and by then, they had to set up camp for the night.